Multiple interspersed pin carriage



'Pt s m5 UHU MULTIPLE INTERSPERSED PIN CARRIAGE Filed April 1l, 1.955

lnvaniors; Arno bMMc OMA www@ @kw United States Patent @Hice PatentedSept. 2, 1958 Mnrrirrn nsrnnsrnasnn PIN CARRIAGE Arno Uhlig and WernerUhlig, Oberndorf, Neckar,- Germany, assignors to Olympia Werke Ag.,Wilhelmshaven, Germany Application April 11, 1955, Serial No. 500,542

6 Claims. (Cl. 235-60) The present invention relates to calculatingmachines and more particularly to a pin carriage arrangement forcalculating machines.

In calculating machines which include a lO-key keyboard together withadditional function keys for carrying out addition, subtraction,multiplication and division, it is customary to provide several pincarriages beside each other for movement along the same path in order toreceive numbers set into the machine and to transfer these numbers tothe calculating organs of the machine. Because a plurality of pincarriages are required in such conventional machines to be locatedbeside each other and to move along the same path the width of themachine which is required to accommodate the several pin carriages isfar greater than the width required by other elements of the machine,and therefore the conventional machines are necessarily of a larger sizethan they would be if the pin carriage arrangement could be altered soas not to require so much space.

One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent the abovedrawbacks by providing a pin carriage arrangement capable ofaccomplishing the same results as conventional pin carriagearrangements, but requiring a width which is but a fraction of thatrequired by conventional pin carriage arrangements.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide acalculating machine with a multiple pin carriage which combines initself a plurality of conventional pin carriages and which requires aspace which is no greater than or at the most slightly greater than thatrequired by a single conventional pin carriage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in associationwith a multiple pin carriage of the above type means for indicating avalue set into one of the carriages forming part of the multiple pincarriage.

A further object of the present invention is to provide structure forsimultaneously actuating a pair of pin carriages.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide stop meansfor controlling the stepwise movement of the pin carriage arrangement ofthe invention in such a way that a single stop means may be used toproperly locate the pins of a pair of pin carriages.

With the above objects in view, the present invention mainly consists ofa calculating machine which includes a carrier means for carrying aplurality of pins of a pin carriage to form a pin carriage with thesepins. A support means supports the carrier means for stepwise movementin a given direction through a predetermined distance after each digitis inserted into the machine. A plurality of rows of pins are carried bythe carrier means and are spaced from each other by a fraction of thepredetermined distance through which the carrier means moves in each ofits stepwise movements, so that the carrier means and the rows of pinsform a multiple pin carriage which combines in a single structure theequivalent of a number of pin carriages equal to the reciprocal of saidfraction.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantage thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specic embodimentwhen read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partly diagrammatic fragmentary top plan View of a pincarriage arrangement of the invention together with structure of theinvention for actuating the pins of the pin carriage arrangement;

Fig. 2 is a partly sectional side elevational view of part of the pincarriage arrangement of Fig. l showing a stop means associated with thispin carriage arrangement; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view diagrammatically illustratingthe manner in which a pair of stop means cooperate with the pin carriagearrangement of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen from Fig. l that thecalculating machine includes a stationary horizontal shaft 1 shown indot-dash lines in Fig. l extending completely through the machine fromone side wall in order to support a carrier means 2 for stepwisemovement to the left, as viewed in Fig. l, in the direction of the arrowshown therein. This carrier means 2 forms a boxlike structure having endwalls through which the shaft 1 passes freely and having front and rearwalls formed with a plurality of rows of aligned openings to accommodatepins of the pin carriage arrangement for forward and rearward movement.These pins 3 of the pin carriage arrangement extend horizontally throughthe pairs of openings in the manner indicated in Fig. l for free slidingmovement with respect to the carrier means 2. In the particular carriermeans 2 illustrated in Fig. 1 the equivalent of three separate pincarriages are located as described below. i

The mechanism of the calculating machine is designed in a known way tomove the carrier 2 stepwise to the left through a distance at each stepcorresponding to the distance between adjacent rows of pins of a singlepin carriage. In order to receive the numbers of two different values,such as, for example, a multiplicand and a multiplier, the carrier means2 carries the vertical rows o f pins 3a and 3b of two separate pincarriages which are thus combined in the left portion of the carriermeans 2, as viewed in Fig. l, into a multiple pin carriage D which is inthis case a double pin carriage. r[he pins 3a are shaded to clearlydistinguish the same from the pins 3b, and the successive rows of pins3a and 3b are spaced from each other Iby a distance equal to onehalf `ofthe distance through which carrier 2 moves at each step. In other Words,the distance from the center of a pin 3a to the center of an adjacentpin 3b is equal to one-half of the distance through which the carrier 2moves at each step. Thus, each row of pins 3a forms with the nextadjacent row of pins 3b a double row of pins and the space betweencorresponding points of two adjacent double rows of pins corresponds tothe distance that the carrier 2 moves at each step. It should be notedthat it is not necessary to have a number of rows of pins 3a which isequal to the number of rows of pins 3b, in which special case the doublepin carriage D would be made up only of double rows. Instead, it ispossible in accordance with the present invention to provide a capacity`of one carriage included in the multiple pin carriage which isdifferent from the capacity of the other carriage included therein sothat, for example, the 9th and 10th places from the left as viewed inFig. l are composed only of pins 3a, as shown in Fig. l.

Actuation of the pins 3 takes place in a` known way from a 10-keykeyboard, the keys of which have bottom actuating feet 4 which actuate,as disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,742,228, Figs. 3 vand 5, a mechanismfor transferring the movement of the keys to corresponding swing members5 located one above the other and equal in number to the number of pinsin each vertical row. One of the swing members 5 is shown in Fig. 1 fromwhich it may be seen that the swing members are turnably carried attheir ends, and it is to be understood that a plurality of such swingmembers are located one above the other in such a way that when a givenkey is depressed it will turn the swing member whose elevationcorresponds to the given key so that projections on the swing memberwill 4actuate a pin in a given row whose elevation corresponds to thenumber indicated on the particular key which is depressed. Thus, Fig. 2shows a row of pins 3 which respectively correspond, from the top to thebottom, to the digits 9, respectively. Each of the swing membersincludes a projection Sab which cooperates with pins 3a or pins 3bdepending on the relative position between the carrier 2 and the swingmembers.

In order to store values in the pin carriage arrangement or in order tobe able to transfer values inserted into the pin carriage arrangement toan indicating mechanism which is not located directly over the multiplepin carriage D, the carrier means 2 extends to the right beyond themultiple pin carriage D to form a separate conventional pin carriage Econnected directly to the multiple pin carriage D for movement therewithalong the support means 1 and to carry in a purely` conventional mannerthe rows of pins 3c which are spaced from eachV other in a conventionalway by a distance equal to the movement of the carrier means 2 at eachstep. Thus, it is possible to arrange over this additional pin carriageE an indicator for indicating a value set into one of the pin carriagesincluded in the multiple pin carriage D if the pins 3c are actuated inthe same way as the pins 3a or the pins 3b. If it is desired to move pincarriage E independently of multiple pin carriage D instead of togetherwith the same, then of course the carrier means 2 would not be made inone piece to accommodate pin carriages D and E.

The pins Scareractuated `by the same swing members S'whieh actuate thepins 3a and 3b and more particularly by the projections 5c of theseswing members. The distance between projections Sab and 5c of each swingmember 5 can be equal either to the distance between the row of pins 3aof the rst double row of pins of the double pin carriage D and the rstrow of pins 3c of carriage E -or to the distance between the row of pins3b of the rst double row of pins of multiple carriage D and the firstrow of pins 3c of carriage E. The latter arrangement is shown in Fig. 1.That is, Fig. 1 shows an arrangement where the distance between theprojections Sab and Sc is equal to the distance between the first row ofpins 3b at the left end of carriage D in Fig. 1 and the first row ofpins 3c at the left end of carriage E, Whether the distance betweenprojections Sab and 5c corresponds to one or the other of the casesmentioned above depends on the particular requirements of a givenmachine.

In order to be able to, for example, set into the rows of pins 3a themultiplicand and into the rows of pins 3b the multiplier, the structurefor controlling the stepwise movement of the carrier means 2 must be soarranged that one or the other of the rows of pins 3a or 3b to beactuated is located in front of the projections Sab. For this purpose,the carrier means 2 carries over the rows of pins 3a and 3b widened stoppins 6a and lengthened stop pins 6b, respectively, which cooperatealternately with the adjustable stop members 7a and 7b which are carriedby the frame of the machine, stop member 7a being shorter than stopmember 7b. It will be noted that the stop pins 6a are widened so as toextend to a higher elevation than the lengthened Vstop pins 6b so thatthe shorter stop member 7a may cooperate with stop pins 6a without anyinterference from the stop pins 6b. In order to actuate the pins 3a thestop member 7a is lowered in a known way to its operative position inwhich it cooperates with the stop pins 6a while at this time the stopmember 7b lies out of the path of movement of the stop pins 6b. On theother hand, when it is desired to transfer numbers into the rows of pins3b, the stop member 7a is raised to an inoperative position and the stopmember 7b is lowered to an operative position where it will cooperatewith the stop pins 6b. This operation is clearly indicated in adiagrammatic manner in Fig. 3.

For the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 where a double pin carriage D isshown together with a single pin carriage E, with all of these carriagescarried by a common carrying means 2, it is possible to simplify theoperation of the stop means 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, since it is unnecessary toprovide lengthened stop pins 6b over the rows of pins 3b because stoppins 6c located over the rows of pins 3c and having the sameconstruction as the stop pins 6a will cooperate with another stop member7c identical with stop member 7a to accurately locate the carrier means2 in positions which place the rows of pins 3b in front of theprojections Sab. Thus, with this arrangement it is possible tocompletely eliminate stop pins 6b and to. use only stop pins 6a and 6cwhich have the same construction. 'The above-described arrangement isdiscussed at greater length below where the operation of the structureof the invention is described.

In the starting position of the machine all parts are located in theposition indicated in Fig. l. The stop member 7a is located in itsoperating position to cooperate with the stop pins 6a respectivelylocated over the rows of pins 3a, as indicated in Fig. 2. The stopmember 7c is raised to its inoperative position and therefore does notextend into the path of movement of the stop pins 6c respectivelylocated over the rows of pins 3c of the pin carriage E. The rstoperation is, for example, to`set a multiplicand into the pins 3a. Ifthis multiplicand is, for example, 127.385, then after the digit l isset into the first row of pins 3a of the first double row of pins at theleft of the double pin carriage D, the carrier means 2 performs itsfirst step to the left in such a way that the stop pin 6a over the rowof pins 3a of the second double row of carriage D moves into engagementwith the stop member 7a and then the second digit 2 of the multiplicandis set into this second row of pins 3a, These operations are repeated inthe same way at all further positions of the multiplicand until thedigit 5 is set into the row of pins 3a of the 6th double row of pins ofthe double carriage D. Then, this value which is set into the separatecarriage formed by pins 3a may be transferred to the calculatingmechanism or first the second value may be set into the double pincarriage.

In order toplace into the pin carriage a multiplier of, for example,17.45, the multiplication function key of the keyboard is depressed. Inthis way, in a purely conventional manner known to those skilled in theart, the carrier means 2 is returned to the right, as viewed in Fig. l,to its starting position. The value inserted into the rows of pins 3amay be zeroed at this time if this value has already been transferred tothe calculating mechanism. If this value has not been transferred thenthe pins 3a are not zeroed. In any event, the multiplicand may beretained in the pin carriage formed by pins 3a, if desired. All of thezeroing mechanisms may be made in accordance with the particularrequirements of the machine and have no pertinence to the presentinvention.

An additional function performed by depression of the multiplication keyis that of locating the stop member 7c in its operative position in thepath of movement of stop pins 6c while at the same time the stop member7a is raised to its inoperative position. Thus, the carrier means 2 islocated at the beginning of this operation in a position where the rowof pins 3b of the first double row of pins of multiple pin carriage D islocated in front of the projections Sab, and in this position this rowof pins 3b may receive the first digit of the multiplier. It will benoted that the multiplier is transferred into the pin carriage E at thesame time that it is transferred into the rows of pins 3b because of theabove-described distance between projections Sab and 5c. Thus, thesuccessive rowsof pins 3c will become located in front of theprojections 5c at the same time that the successive rows of pins 3bbecome located in front of the rows of projections Sab. The multiplieris set into the pin carriage arrangement of the invention by actuatingthe keys corresponding to the digits 1745 in the above example, and thecarrier means 2 steps to the left while the stop member 7c cooperates ina known way with the successive stop pins 6c. Thus, the double pincarriage D as well as the single pin carriage E will simultaneously havethe multiplier set therein until the last digit 5 of this multiplieractuates a pin 3b of the 4th of the double rows of pins of the doublepin carriage and the ycorresponding pin 3c in the 4th row of pins of thepin carriage E. Finally, these values can be transferred in a known wayto the calculating and indicating organs of the machine and then thevalues inserted into the pin carriage may be zeroed so that the pincarriage arrangement of the invention is ready to have the next valueset into the same.

The concept of the present invention includes several variations andpossibilities not mentioned above. Thus, for example, the distancebetween adjacent rows of pins of the multiple pin carriage may be equalto a third, for example, rather than a half of the distance of one stepin the movement of the carrier means 2, and in thisr case a third stopmeans would be provided for the third set of rows of pins. Thus, such aconstruction would correspond to a multiple pin carriage in which threepin carriages were included, or such a combination of three pincarriages may be obtained with the structure of Fig. -l where the swingmembers and stop members are adapted to set into the pin carriage E athird value completely independent of values set into the double pincarriage, this third value being transferred in a known way to thecalculating mechanism, for example.

Furthermore, it is possible to place another double pin carriage wherethe single pin carriage E is located so that with a correspondingarrangement of the spaces between the pins and of the stop pins and stopmembers it is possible from a lO-key keyboard to insert either pairs ofidentical values in both double pin carriages or four different valuesto carry out double multiplications .or divisions in pairs.

All of the above arrangements and variations are included within thepurview of the above-described improvement in the arrangement of pincarriages of a calculating machine. l

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also nd a useful application in other types ofcalculating machines diifering from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in apin carriage arrangement for calculating machines, it is not intended tobe limited to the details shown, since various modifications andstructural changes may be made without departing in any way from thespirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can What is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1.' In a calculating machine, in combination, a shiftable carriage forsupporting a plurality of rows of pins; support means supporting saidshiftable carriage for stepwise movement in a given direction through apredetermined distance at each step after each digit is inserted intothe machine; a plurality of rows of pins carried by said shiftablecarriage and at least some of said rows of pins being spaced from eachother .by a fraction of said predetermined distance so that saidshiftable carriage and rows of pins form a multiple pin carriage whichcombines in a single structure a plurality of equivalent pin carriagesequal in number to the reciprocal of said fraction, `the number of rowsof pins which correspond to one equivalent pin carriage included in saidmultiple pin carriage being independent of the number of rows of pins inany other one of said equivalent pin carriages included in said multiplepin carriage; and a plurality of selectively operable stop means equalin number to said number of equivalent pin carriages each of whichincludes a predetermined number of rows of pins spaced from each otherby said predetermined distance, each of said plurality of stop meansbeing operatively connected to said shiftable carriage for controllingthe step wise movement thereof and to locate the predetermined number ofrows of pins, which constitute a given equivalent pin carriagecorresponding to the particular stop means, successively in an operatingposition, so that when a selected one of said stop means is operated therows of pins which do not form part of the given equivalent pin carriagecorresponding to said one stop means areV skipped and do not enter intothe operation.

2. Ina calculating machine, in combination, a shiftable carriage forsupporting a plurality of rows of pins; support means supporting saidshiftable carriage for stepwise movement in a given direction through apredetermined Idistance at each step after each digit is inserted -intothe machine; a plurality of rows of pins carried by said shiftablecarriage and spaced from each other by a fraction of said predetermineddistance so that said shiftable carriage and rows of pins form amultiple pin carriage which combines in a single structure a pluralityof equivalent pin carriages equal in number to the reciprocal of saidfraction; and a plurality of selectively operable stop means equal innumber to said number of equivalent pin carriages each of which includesa predetermined number of rows of pins spaced from each other by saidpredetermined distance, each of said plurality of stop means beingoperatively connected to said shiftable carriage for controlling thestepwise movement thereof and to locate the predetermined number of rowsof pins which constitute a given equivalent pin carriage correspondingto the particular stop means, successively in an operating position sothat when a selectedone of said stop means is operated the rows of pinswhich do not form part of the given equivalent pin carriagecorresponding to said one stop means are skipped and do not enter intothe operation.

`3. In a calculating machine as recited in claim 2, and an additionalpin carriage located beside and connected with said multiple pincarriage for movement with the same along said support means, saidadditional pin carriage having rows of pins mutually spaced from eachother by said predetermined distance.

4. In a calculating machine, in combination, a shiftable carriage forsupporting a plurality of rows of pins; support means supporting saidshiftable carriage for stepwise movement in a given direction through apredetermined distance at each step after each digit is inserted intothe machine; a plurality of rows of pins carried by said shiftablecarriage and spaced from each other by a fraction of said predetermineddistance so that said shiftable carriage and rows of pins form amultiple pin carriage which combines in a single Structure a pluralityof 7 equivalent pin carriages equal in number to the reciprocal of saidfraction; a plurality of selectively Voperable stop means equal innumber to said number of equivalent' pin carriages each of whichincludes a predetermined number of rows of pins spaced from each otherby said predetermined distance, each of said plurality of stop meansbeing operatively connected to said shiftable carriage for controllingthe stepwise movement thereof and to locate the predetermined number ofrows of pins, which constitute a given equivalent pin carriagecorresponding to the particular stop means, successively in an operatingposition, so that when a selected one of said stop means is operated therows of pins which do not form part of the given equivalent pin carriagecorresponding to said one stop means are skipped and do not enter intothe operation; an additional pin carriage located beside and connectedwith said multiple pin carriage for movement with the same along saidsupport means, said additional pin carriage having rows of pins mutuallyspaced from each other by said predetermined distance and adapted t beactuated simultaneously and in the same way as pins of one of the setsof rows of pins of said multiple pin carriage corresponding to aseparate equivalent pin carriage, so that the position of the pins ofsaid additional pin carriage may be used to actuate an indicatingmechanism which indicates the number set into said separate pin carriagewhich forms part of said multiple pin carriage; a plurality of swingmembers carried by said support means opposite the pins of said multipleand additional pin carriages and each provided with a pair ofprojections extending toward said pin carriages for actuatingpreselected pins thereof, one of said pair of projections being spacedfrom the other of said pair 0f projections, when said other projectionis in front of the rst row of pins of said additional pin carriage, by adistance equal to that between said latter first row of pins and theirst row of pins `of said separate equivalent pin carriage forming partof said multiple pin carriage, so that said pair of projectionssimultaneously actuate corresponding pins of said separate andadditional pin carriages; and a plurality of manually operable key meansrespectively cooperating with said plurality of swing members forrespectively actuating the latter when said plurality of key means aremanually operated.

5. In a calculating machine, in combination, a shiftable carriage forsupporting a plurality of rows of pins; support means supporting saidshiftable carriage for stepwise movement in a given direction through apredetermined distance at each step after each digit is inserted intothe machine; a plurality of rows of pins carried by said shiftablecarriage and spaced from each other by a fraction of said predetermineddistance so that said shiftable carriage and rows of pins form amultiple pin carriage which `combines in a single structure a pluralityof equivalent pin carriages equal in number to the reciprocal of saidfraction; an additional pin carriage located beside and connected withsaid multiple pin carriage for movement with the same along said supportmeans, said ad-v ditional pin carriage having rows of pins mutuallyspaced from each other by said predetermined distance and adapted to beactuated simultaneously and in the same way as pins of one of the setsof rows of pins of said multiple pin carriage corresponding to aseparate equivalent pin carriage, so that the position of the pins ofsaid additional pin carriage may be used to actuate an indicatingmechanism which indicates the number set into said separate equivalentpin carriage which forms part of said multiple pin carriage; actuatingmeans for operating the pins of an equivalent pin carriage and forconcurrently operating corresponding pins of said separate equivalentpin carriage and said additional pin carriage;

manually operable key means for operating said actuating means; rst stopmeans cooperating with said shiftable carriage for successively stoppingthe rows of pins of said separate equivalent pin carriage and saidadditional pin carriage in a position to be actuated when said key meansis operated; and second stop means cooperating with said shiftablecarriage for successively stopping the rows of pins of an equivalent pincarriage diferent from said separate equivalent carriage included insaid multiple pin carriage in a position to be actuated when said keymeans is operated.

6. In a calculating machine, in combination, a shiftable carriage forsupporting a plurality of rows of pins; support means supporting saidshiftable carriage for stepwise movement in a given direction through apredetermined distance at each step after each digit is inserted intothe machine; a plurality of rows of pins carried by said shiftablecarriage and spaced from each other by a fraction of said predetermineddistance so that said shiftable carriage and rows of pins form amultiple pin carriage which combines in a single structure a pluralityof equivalent pin carriages equal in number to the reciprocal of saidfraction; an additional pin carriage located beside and connected withsaid multiple pin carriage for movement with the same along said supportmeans, said additional pin carriage having rows of pins mutually spacedfrom each other by said predetermined distance and adapted to beactuated simultaneously and in the same way as pins of one of the setsof rows of pins of said multiple pin carriage corresponding to aseparate equivalent pin carriage, so that theposition of the pins ofsaid additional pin carriage may be used to actuate an indicatingmechanism which indicates the number set into said separate equivalentpin carriagewhich forms part of said multiple pin carriage; a pluralityof swing members carried by said support means opposite the pins of saidmultiple and additional pin carriages and each provided with a pair ofprojections extending toward said pin carriages for actuatingpre-selected pins thereof, one of said pair of projections being spacedfrom the other of said pair of projections, when said other projectionis in front of the first row of pins of said additional pin carriage, bya distance equal to that between said latter rst row of pins and thefirst row of pins of said separate equivalent pin carriage forming partof said multiple pin carriage, so that said pair of projectionssimultaneously actuate corresponding pins of said separate equivalentand additional pin carriages; a plurality of manually operable key meansrespectively cooperating with said plurality of swing members forrespectively actuating the latter when said plurality of key means aremanually operated; rst stop means cooperating with said multiple pincarriage for stopping the rows of pins of said separate equivalent pincarriage and said additional pin carriage in a position to be actuatedwhen said plurality of key means are operated; and second stop meanscooperating with sai-d multiple pin carriage for stopping the rows ofpins of an equivalent pin carriage different from Vsaid separateequivalent carriage included in said multiple pin carriage in a positionto be actuated when said plurality of key means are operated.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSGermany Aug. 10 1944

